IGV 965 

T85 
| Copy 1 

NDBOOK 



ON 




GOLP 



FOR BEGINNERS 



BY R. G. TYLER 



PRICE 1 5 CENTS 



A HANDBOOK 



ON 



GOLF 



FOR BEGINNERS 



BY R. G. TYLER 



COPYRIGHT 1914 

BY 

R. G. TYLER 



<$%* 



» * 

©CLA376295 

JUN 15 1914 
*0, 



FOREWORD 

Although the material contained in this hand-book 
is primarily intended for one endeavoring to master the 
elementary principles of golf, he who is not a novice will 
undoubtedly find something that will be helpful to his 
game. By arranging the essential points in a concise 
and clear manner, I have attempted to compile the work 
so methodically, as to avoid any possibility of confusion 
or ambiguity. It is written on the theory that it will not 
be simply read and then laid aside, but rather will be 
studied, practised, and assimilated into one's game. The 
remedies suggested for "topping" and "slicing," which 
are the chief faults of beginners, and also of the advanced 
player, should prove beneficial. For one who is "off his 
game, " it ought to be of valuable service. Many technical 
terms which a student of the game may have heard and 
not understood are explained. As a whole, the informa- 
tion contained herein is necessary for a true knowledge of 
the elements of golf. 

R. G. T. 

Hanover, N. H., May, 19 14. 



A HAND-BOOK ON GOLF FOR BEGINNERS 
I 
SETTING-UP EXERCISE 



NOTE: In these dia- 
grams the figure 1 rep- 
resents the left foot, 
and 2, the right. The 
dot indicates the posi- 
tion of the ball in rela- 
tion to the feet. 



Y 



STANCE. 

i. As is indicated by the diagram, place the left toe 
flush with the line and the right about two inches over it. 

2. With the toes turned a little out, place the feet a 
comfortable distance apart and evenly distribute the 
weight. 

3. Bend the knees slightly so as to keep the weight 
on the heels where it should be. 

4. Let the arms hang naturally at the sides and flexed 
at the elbows. 

5. Keep the body vertical, the head inclined a bit and 
the eye fastened on the ball throughout this exercise. 



6. Test: Lift your toes to see if the weight is on the 
heels. If it is, you won't find it necessary to lean back 
first. 

TURN. 

i. Being positive that the head is kept in its original 
position, turn the body to the right, weight shifting from 
both feet to the right foot (heel). Notice that the weight 
gets on the right foot by a turning of the body and not by 
a swaying. 

2. As the body turns, the left knee knuckles in toward 
the right, which becomes straight at the top of the swing. 

3. The left heel stays on the ground all the time. 
Pivoting on the inner edge of the left foot, let the outer 
edge come up as the left knee knuckles in toward the right. 

4. When the turn to the right is reached, the left 
shoulder is to the front, the weight almost entirely on the 
right heel, and the eye looking over the left shoulder at 
the ball. 

5. Taking the utmost care that the weight comes off 
the right heel gradually, turn to the front with the head 
very steady and the eye on the ball. If turned correctly 
you will now be in the same position that you assumed 
when you started, that is, facing the ball, weight evenly 
divided, etc. 

6. Now turn to the left, shifting all the weight on to the 
left leg, which becomes straight and rigid. During this 
turning the right heel comes around and up by its own 
accord, leaving the right toe only on the ground. The 
body is now in the finish position, facing the supposed 



flight of the ball, but the eye is still on the spot where the 
ball was. 

LEFT HAND EXERCISE. 

Note : The object of this and the next exercise is to 
show the functions of each hand separately. It is ad- 
visable to hold the club by the wrong end as otherwise it 
would be rather unwieldy . In doing them apply the above. 

i . This hand takes a good hold with thumb resting on 
nail of forefinger. The web of the hand is just over the 
shaft so that you see the back of the hand but not the 
fingers. 

2. As you swing the club back increase gradually the 
concave in the back of the left wrist by turning the wrist 
in toward the body. 

3. Keep the arm close to the body and as straight as 
you conveniently can. 

4. At the top of the swing you should be able to see 
the whole back of the hand. 

5. For the down swing imagine you are executing 
the back hand stroke in tennis. 

6. The club finishes around the left shoulder. The 
left elbow is in contact with the left hip and the hand out 
as far as possible towards the flight of the ball. 

RIGHT HAND EXERCISE. 

1. Grip entirely with the fingers and the end of the 
thumb, having the hand more over the shaft than under it. 

2. During the back swing the right wrist is turning 
while the right elbow is swinging around close to the body. 



3- At the top of the swing the right elbow should be 
close to your back, but do not tighten any muscles to attain 
this position. The shaft is now in the web of the hand 
where it has gradually worked its way during the back 
swing. 

4. During the down swing throw the shaft out of the 
web back into the original grip at the moment of impact, 
and then into the web again at the finish, which is around 
the left shoulder with the right arm fairly straight. 

5. Thus the left hand holds the club; and the right 
fingers and end of the thumb direct it. 

REMARKS: 

These exercises may seem like drudgery to the novice, 
but he can do nothing better for the development of his 
own good game than to master them thoroughly — the 
foundation of golf — at this part of his career. To learn 
to run properly you must learn to walk first. They are 
not very entertaining, but if the beginner will give them 
due consideration at this stage his future hours of dis- 
couragement and moral embarrassment will be many 
times diminished. Half an hour's practice now is worth a 
month's practice when your game gets more advanced. 

II 
THE DRIVER 
STANCE. 

(See directions above). The ball should be about two 
inches off the left heel, thus putting the stance fairly well 
behind it. This open stance (open means the right foot 
advanced) permits a free follow through, gives a more 



secure feeling that the ball is going where you want it to, 
and acts as a check to over-swinging. To find the correct 
distance from yourself to the ball, lay your club-head 
flat behind it and step up till the end of the shaft touches 
the left knee. 

GRIP (known as "the unequal"). 

i. The left hand grips the shaft as near the end as 
possible without feeling the end. It is over the shaft and 
has its thumb coiling around and resting on the nail of the 
forefinger. The duty of this hand is to hold the club. 

2. Gripping snugly to the left are the right fingers 
and end of the thumb. This finger grip is necessary for 
three reasons: First, as the right hand grips below the 
left the right arm must therefore be longer than the left; 
second, the ability of the fingers to guide the stroke is 
much more sensitive than that of the palm; third, very 
little or no wrist action, the driving power of the stroke, 
is possible with a palm grip. 

BACK SWING. 

i. The wrists alone swing the club back one-quarter 
of the distance, then the arms come into the stroke, then 
the shoulders, and finally the body. The club-head, 
which is the very first thing to start on the backward 
journey, should swing around the right leg and as near 
the ground as the swing itself will permit. (A test to know 
whether the club is turning properly is to lower it to the 
ground at any point in the swing. If correct, it will lie 
flat.) In the entire swing the wrists should be continually 
and consistently turning. 



2. The right elbow swings around close to the body. 
This point is very important as an aid for keeping the 
club down and preventing slicing. 

3. The left arm should swing close to the chest and as 
straight as convenient. 

4. The left knee knuckles in towards its fellow, while 
the left heel remains on the ground and the outer edge is 
coming up. 

5. The head must always be steady and motionless in 
order to prevent any tendency the body may have to sway. 

TOP SWING. 

1 . When the top of the swing is nearly reached and the 
wrists have turned all they can, they bend back a little and 
so "set the trigger." 

2. As the club, during the back swing, has worked its 
way into the webs of both hands, it should be in them now. 
The knuckles of the hands are facing the sky and both 
wrists are under the shaft. Pay special attention to the 
control of the wrists at this point, or they will slacken, 
and your club-head will become a dead weight. 

3. The club has reached the top of the right shoulder 
by coming from a direction around it and not from above 
it. The club-head should be hanging from its shaft like 
a pear from a branch. 

4. The right leg is straight and the weight resting 
mostly on it. 

5. The head is still in its original position, eye looking 
over the left shoulder at the ball. 

6. Both elbows are unconsciously close to the body, 



the left arm is straight, and the hands are out from the 
body, not quite as high as the shoulders. 

DOWNWARD SWING. 

i. First, "pull the trigger"; that is, unbend the 
wrists, and then keep them turning during the rest of the 
swing. After they have begun to turn bring the arms 
into the stroke, then the shoulders, and lastly the body. 
Don't get the body into the stroke too soon, but let the 
wrists, arms, shoulders get well started before the body 
begins. If you will watch this, you won't take the weight 
off the right heel ahead of time and so avoid, to an appre- 
ciable extent, the error of topping. 

2. In order to let the wrists work properly and to avoid 
slicing, be sure that the elbows, as they swing, are close to 
the body. 

3. When the club-head on either side of the ball is 
five or six feet from it, the hands should be as low and 
close to the body as the arms hanging naturally will 
permit. 

4. As the club approaches the ball, guide it with the 
right fingers and end of the thumb, and at the impact turn 
the right wrist quickly over, but of course don't turn the 
club by so doing. For eight inches from the spot where 
the ball is hit it is in contact with the face of the club. 
So while the club is swinging in this space, with the ball 
on its face, be extremely careful to guide it straight. 
Turning the right wrist quickly over at the moment of 
impact means "pep," the seed for distance, in the stroke. 

10 



FINISH OF SWING. 

i. The weight is now almost entirely on the left leg 
which is straight and rigid. 

2. Of the right foot the toe only is touching the ground 
and the only weight that is on it is that of the right leg. 

3. The club is around the left shoulder. (The driver 
and the brassie are the only clubs that swing around it.) 

4. The right shoulder is slightly to the front, having 
got well into the stroke. 

5. The left elbow is touching the hip, the right arm, 
the upper half of which is close to the chest, is fairly 
straight, and both hands are out from the body. 

REMARKS. 

ACCURACY comes from: 

1. Keeping the head in one and the same position 
throughout the swing. 

2. Swinging the elbows close to the body. 

3. Maintaining an erect poise of body. 

4. Swinging easily. 
CONTROL comes from: 

1. Keeping the weight on the heels and holding the 
shoulders up. 

2. Standing up to the ball and not reaching for it. 

3. Properly shifting the weight by turning and not by 
swaying. 

4. Swinging the elbows close to the body. 
DISTANCE comes from: 

1. Controlling the wrists. 

11 



2. Turning the right wrist quickly over at the moment 
of impact. 

3. Swinging the elbows close to the body. 

4. Having the left arm straight at the top of the swing. 

5. Following through. 

Ill 
THE BRASSIE 
The stance, grip and swing of this club are identically 
the same as that of the driver. A brassie is a driver with 
a brass sole and having a trifle more loft on its face so as 
to pick up a ball from a natural lie more effectively. In 
using the brassie, grip a bit firmer than you did the driver 
and slap the ground as you hit the ball; otherwise you 
may fall into the disastrous habit of topping your shots. 
The proper place to use your brassie is on the fairgreen 
when you need considerable distance and the lie is reason- 
ably good. 

IV 
THE CLEEK. 



1Z 



STANCE. 

i. The right foot is about three inches advanced. 

2. Keep the hands low, so that the toe of the club may 
be slightly tilted up. This will prevent the toe from dig- 
ging into the ground and making a " foozle" of the shot. 

SWING. 

The swing of the cleek is practically the same as that of 
driver. The only differences are that the finger grip of 
the right hand is maintained throughout the swing, which 
is not so full as the driver's, and the club finishes over the 
left shoulder as do all iron clubs. 

USE. 

i. The cleek is used on the fairgreen when distance is 
required and the lie is not good enough for a brassie. 
Sometimes when one's play with the wooden clubs is 
bad, the cleek is used on the tee, but this is not considered 
good practice and beginners should use the driver on the 
tee always, unless the hole is too short to warrant it. The 
cleek is not one of the easiest clubs to manage, but as no 
golfer can call his game proficient without its mastery, 
the novice should persevere with its use at the outset. 
A beautiful club, the cleek. 

2. The driving iron and driving mashie are clubs 
similar to the cleek; but as they are intended for advanced 
players the beginner should not have them in his bag. 

RANGE. 

i. For men: — 175 to 190 yards. 
2. For women: — 125 to 140 yards. 

13 



THE MIDIRON 



\ 



STANCE. 

i. The right foot should be about half its length for- 
ward, thus making the stance quite open. 

2. The ball is off midway between the feet. 

3. Grip the same as for the driver, but more firmly. 
For a half shot, use the overlapping grip; that is, let the 
little finger of the right hand ride on the forefinger of the 
left hand. 

SWING. 

1. The style applied in the management of this club 
is the "up and down." (The wooden clubs sweep the 
ball off the tee, but the iron clubs hit it.) It is taken 
directly up, over the right shoulder, down, through the 
ball, straight out towards its flight, and directly up over 
the left shoulder. The swing is about seven-eighths as 
full as that of the driver, so be careful not to overswing. 

14 



2. Be sure to swing the right elbow around close to the 
body and keep the finger grip of the right hand throughout. 

3. At the moment of impact, be certain that the hands 
are in front of the body and not in advance of the club- 
head. Let the club swing, and use your wrists in order 
to get the club-head through first, thus enabling it to pick 
up the ball. 

4. Follow way through. 
FINISH OF SWING. 

1. The club is over the left shoulder, the hands are 
well out and higher than they were in the case of the 
driver or cleek. 

2. Because of this "up and down" style, the left 
knee is slightly bent. 

RANGE OF MIDIRON. 

1. For men: — 125 to 175 yards. 

2. For women: — 75 to 125 yards. 

THE IRON is a midiron with five degrees more loft. 

VI 
THE MASHIE 



"S" 



15 



STANCE. 

i. The right foot is well advanced with the ball about 
opposite its heel. 

2. The knees are bent a trifle more than they were 
with the midiron. 

GRIP. 

i. The left hand is well over the shaft and has the 
thumb lying lengthwise on the top of it. 

2. The right hand is also fairly well over the shaft, 
with the little ringer riding on the forefinger of the left 
hand, and the end of the thumb on the ball side of the 
shaft. A rather firm, but by no means rigid, grip is 
necessary with the fingers and the ends of the thumbs of 
both hands, especially with the right forefinger and the 
end of the right thumb. 

3. It is not a bad plan in the short mashie shots to 
grip a little lower on the shaft so as to get a good balance 
and to lessen the leverage and the strain on the all-impor- 
tant wrists. 

ADDRESS. 

r. The body should be very calm and steady with all 
its muscles relaxed. The legs are bent and the weight is 
on the heels. 

2. The arms should be well extended down and dose 
to the body so as to keep them under very careful control 
and to make sure that the heel of the club is on the ground. 
The purpose in emphasizing this point is to prevent the 
club from turning in your hands when it hits the ground. 

16 



3. Make a special note that the right elbow is close 
to the body. 

SWING. 

i. The back swing never goes beyond the three-quar- 
ter limit and is accomplished by the wrists, arms and 
shoulders with scarcely any body at all. As it swings 
back from the ball, it instantly starts up in the direction 
of over the right shoulder. Be sure to keep the head 
motionless and to swing the right elbow around close to 
the body. Control the wrists. 

2. On the down swing the club comes in contact with 
the ball and then takes a small piece of turf out. The 
follow through straight after the ball is very essential. 
When the club has swung out as far as it can, it should 
come directly up in the direction of over the left shoulder, 
which, however, it should not quite reach, since the swing 
with the mashie is only a three-quarter one. 

3. Hold your eye on the spot where the ball was for a 
fraction of time after you have hit it. 

WRIST SHOT. 

The object of the wrist shot is to raise the ball so that 
it will have practically no roll when it drops. It is used 
to get over bunkers and such obstructions. 

1. Take your stance so that the ball will be off midway 
between the feet. The right foot is well advanced, thus 
enabling the body to be slightly facing the line of play. 

2. The stroke is simple. Bend the wrists back as 
far as possible and as the club swings through hold the left 

17 



hand in its original position, with the right push the club 
and swing the left shoulder around. In this shot take the 
ball clean with no turf. 
RANGE OF MASHIE. 

i. For men: — 5 to 125 yards. 

2. For women: — 5 to 75 yards. 

REMARKS. 

1. The club-head should be fairly heavy and the shaft 
stiff. 

2. The mashie, " Queen of clubs," demands continuous 
study and practice. The only way to master it is to 
learn its elements and then practise with it as often as 
you can. A treacherous club, the mashie. 



VII 



THE NIBLICK 



X 



18 



STANCE. 

The niblick is a heavy club with a broad, well laid 
back face used for getting out of sand traps, high grass 
and other bad places. To get the necessary slugging 
power, plant the feet rather widely apart and as solidly 
on the ground as possible. 

SWING. 

With the exception that the grip is very tight, and that 
the finish of the stroke is reached when the club has come 
out of the sand, the swing is similar to that of the mashie. 
Aim and hit an inch or so (according to the ground) 
behind the ball and take some sand with it. In using the 
niblick, the most tricky club in the bag, strict attention 
must be paid to keeping a very tight grip, and the head 
absolutely motionless throughout the stroke. 

The mashie-niblick is a club half way between a mashie 
and a niblick. Some golfers, for economical reasons, 
prefer it. 

VIII 
THE PUTTER 

STANCE. 

No standard position for putting can be laid down, since 
no two persons putt alike. The one to adopt is the one 
that fits your own individual fancy so long as you give 
heed to the following points. 

19 



LONG PUTTS. 

i. Steadiness, which means that nothing in the whole 
body or legs move, is the first essential. Long putts are 
made with the wrists helped a little by the arms. Nothing 
else even quivers. 

2. Keep your shoulders fairly well up with the weight 
on your heels so as to enable your putter to swing through 
the ball with a nice even sweep as near like a pendulum as 
possible. 

3. Regulate your swing in proportion to the length 
of the putt and as an aid for direction always follow through. 
Don't tap or jerk your putts. Practise swinging your 
putter in your room over a straight line in the carpet 
design or a crack in the floor. This will do you more good 
than any amount of outdoor putting. 

4. Never try to hole a putt over fifteen feet long, but 
imagining a circle the size of a barrel head around the 
cup, simply try to roll your ball into it. Thus you are 
sure of holing your next, whereas if you had tried to hole 
the first, you might, from over-anxiety and nervousness, 
not have come within holing distance. 

5. Never up, never in. It's far better to be a foot or 
two feet past the hole than six inches or a foot on the nearer 
side of it. The ball then had at least a chance of dropping, 
in. Be up. 

SHORT PUTTS. 

1. There is nothing that has more to do with one's 
holing out ability than self-confidence. If you can say 

20 



to yourself and feel it, "I can," the ball will echo as it 
drops into the hole, "I knew you could." You can, of 
course you can. 

2. It's a good plan to square your putt before executing 
it. By this I mean place the putter in front of the ball 
facing the hole so as to see more easily if it is aimed cor- 
rectly. 

3. Let your right forearm touch, but not lean against 
your right leg so as to steady the stroke and thus help the 
pendulum to swing accurately. 

4. More short putts are missed from looking up too 
soon than for any other fault. Avoid this bad tendency 
by holding your neck stiff during the putt, as this will 
keep the eye down until the club has passed through the 
ball. 

5. The real key to good putting is confidence and abso- 
lutely true hitting, coming from steadiness and doing the 
work entirely with the wrists. 

6. While waiting for your opponent to putt, stand 
behind your own ball, studying the nature of the ground 
between it and the hole, and judging the distance. Notice 
whether the green is dry and fast or damp and slow, if 
it has been lately rolled and, if so, see whether you are 
putting against the grain of the rolling or with it. By 
the time it is your play you should have definitely planned 
just what to do. Walk calmly up to your ball, with all 
muscles relaxed and without any more thinking (your 
brains being now in your ringer tips) execute the stroke 
as quickly as a due amount of care will permit. If you 

21 



spend more than four or five seconds over the ball, your 
muscles will unconsciously become tight, resulting in your 
becoming nervous and unsteady. 

REMARKS. 

i. On side slopes it is better to borrow; that is, to 
allow for the roll, rather than try to put spin on the ball. 

2. Whenever a stymie presents itself, play it. You 
have got to play them in tournaments, so get used to them 
in your daily friendly matches. 

3. Do not concede putts. A player who becomes 
accustomed to having putts given him will, when he gets 
in a tournament, undoubtedly miss a couple of short ones 
and so lose confidence in the rest of his play as well. A 
six inch putt is a stroke as well as the two hundred and 
fifty yard drive. Putt them. 

4. Practising putting by himself for the first month or 
two will develop in the beginner the mechanical elements 
of the swing. After that time putting is a question of 
nerves, and practice will be beneficial to him only in a 
competitive sense. 

5. Grip the same as you did the mashie, only let two 
fingers of the right hand overlap the left instead of one. 

IX 
HOW TO GET OUT OF DIFFICULTIES 

BALL ON DOWNWARD SLOPE. 

1. Play the ball off the right foot. 

22 



2. Hold the left knee very firm and the right loose. 

3. Grip lightly. 

BALL ON UPWARD SLOPE. 

1. Play the ball off the left foot. 

2. Hold the right knee very firm and the left loose. 

3. Shorten the grip and swing easily. 

BALL BELOW PLAYER. 

1. Use a wide stance with knees well bent and stand 
well behind the ball. 

2. Turn down the nose of the club. 

3. Take only a three-quarter swing and very carefully. 

BALL ABOVE PLAYER. 

1. To prevent the hook that this shot tends to give, 
stand farther from and a little in front of the ball. 

2. Grip firmly and take a short, very accurate swing. 

BALL IN A CUPPY LIE. 

The thing to remember in this shot is not to hit hard, but 
to slacken the grip and muscles and let the club-head do 
the work. Don't hit hard. 



MAXIMS FOR ALL CLUBS 

1. Keep your eye on the ball. 

2. Always let direction be the first consideration, then 

23 



distance will take care of itself. Especially among be- 
ginners, direction wins while distance flounders around in 
traps and the rough. 

3. Swing easily and take the ball clean. 

4. Keep the body vertical by retaining the weight on 
the heels and holding the head steady. 

5. Always grip with the ringers and the end of thumb 
of the right hand. Not only is their ability to guide the 
stroke far keener than that of the palm, but this grip is 
necessary for the proper wrist action. 

6. Eel ax all muscles before taking your stance and then 
strike without delay. I believe that more flub shots 
come from standing over the ball too long, thereby un- 
consciously tightening the muscles, than from taking the 
eye off too soon. After you have taken your aim, stance 
and grip in the order named, waggle your club back and 
forth over the ball two or three times preliminary to 
hitting it. This will tell whether the grip feels right and 
if the wrists are flexible and working properly, but better 
still it keeps the muscles soft and so tends to make the 
swing smooth. 

7. On the back swing move the club slowly. 

8. Be sure that the wrists impart the sting to the shot. 
They perform the same function in the golf swing that 
the lash of a whip does when it snaps. The arms help 
swing the club to be sure, but it is the wrists from which 
comes the life that makes the ball travel. 

9. When off your game or nervous, grip shorter, a little 
firmer and use only a three-quarter swing. 

10. It's a good plan in swinging a club to think of 

24 



throwing the club-head at the ball. This will help you 
to let the club-head do one-half of the work as it should. 
If it is cheated of its share of duty a "foozle" results. 

n. After the club has passed through the ball, con- 
tinue to hold the eye down while to your self you slowly 
count one, two, and retain your finish position for a second 
after this. Good style is necessary for good play. 

12. Get in the habit of watching your ball. Mark its 
line by a tree or something such, and then by judging 
its distance you ought to be able to walk directly to it. 

13. With a wooden club graze the ground, and with an 
iron take a little turf with the ball. All good players do 
this in order to avoid topping and to straighten the shot. 
Don't forget, however, to replace and stamp down the 
divot. 

14. When you grip the club, there should be a slight 
concave in the back of the left wrist. Unless you gradual- 
ly increase this hollow during the back swing by turning 
the wrists, the mainstay of the swing's power is lost. 
Therein lies the strength. 

15. Check overswinging by keeping the left heel down, 
the right foot advanced, and the left arm straight at the 
top of the swing. 

16. To be consistent in your play, your grip should 
grow tighter in the same proportion that your swing and 
your clubs grow shorter. The driver has a rather mild 
grip, the cleek a little firmer, the midiron still more so, 
while the mashie's grip is almost rigid. The putter's 
grip, however, is very soft. A proportion also applies 
to the stance; the shorter the club or swing, or club and 

25 



swing, the nearer together should be the feet, the farther 
advanced the right foot with the ball relatively nearer 
it, and the more bent the knees. The shorter the swing 
the more the work is done by the wrists alone. 

XI 

DON'TS 

i. Don't exaggerate any one point at the expense of 
all others, for if one gets more attention than another the 
swing will be disproportionate. The correct golf swing 
is a symmetrical combination of many details and an 
over development of one will throw the swing out of 
adjustment. 

2. Don't let the head move out of its original position; 
if it does, the body sways and the swing loses its accuracy 
and control. 

3. Don't slacken the wrists. 

4. Don't forget that you can not get a good shot if while 
in the address you wait and think too much about it, 
thus making the muscles tight. The whole golfing 
machine must be in relaxation or one set of muscles will 
work against another set. 

5. Don't tee high. It not only spoils your play on 
the fairgreen where the ball lies close to the ground, 
but it also looks bad to others. 

6. Don't press. You can not hit a ball accurately if 
you try to "kill" it, because you can't time the stroke 
properly. Distance comes from hitting squarely. 

7. Don't go on with your, stroke if you don't feel 
right. Step back, relax, and try again. 

26 



XII 
SIX IMPORTANT POINTS 

These six points are commonly known, but more often 
forgotten than thought of. Their application is absolutely 
necessary for every correct golf swing. 

i. In the stance the shoulders should be up so that 
most of the weight is. on the heels. This means freedom 
and control in the swing. 

2. See that the heel of the club rests on the ground. 
This will let the toe be tilted up a hair and reduce to a 
minimum the possibility of the club turning when it 
strikes the ground. 

3. The upper half of both arms, from shoulder to 
elbow, should unconsciously touch and rub lightly against 
the body in the address and swing. This means accuracy. 

4. At the top of the swing the left arm should be un- 
consciously as nearly straight as possible without being 
!%rt This means a wider swing and therefore distance. 

5. Keep the idea in mind that you are going to throw 
the club-head at the ball. This will make your swing 
smoother, easier, truer and cleaner. Pat emphasis on 
letting the club doing the work and not trying to make it. 

6. Last, but invaluable to success, at the moment 
when the club hits the ball the hands should be in the 
same position; that is, occupy the same space of air that 
they did in the address. Hold them there for a moment 
after the impact. This lets the club-head get into the 
stroke and pick the ball up. 

27 



XIII 

HOW TO PREVENT TOPPING 

i. Put a pound or two more weight on the right foot 
than on the left. This helps to keep the body somewhat 
behind the ball and avoids to a large extent the tendency 
of the body going through in advance of the club, thereby 
raising it and resulting in anything but a bow-shaped 
raker. 

2. One of the strongest factors for getting under the 
ball is to keep your eye on it. Not for the fact that you 
ought to see what you intend to hit, but for the fact 
that the eye holds the head down, the head holds the 
shoulders down, the shoulders the arms, the arms the 
hands, and the hands the club. The very moment the 
eye goes off the ball, up comes the head, shoulders, arms, 
hands, and club. Cure this by holding the eye down for a 
couple of seconds after the ball is hit. 

3. Another point for holding the club down is to pay 
special attention to the hands hanging low and close to 
the body in the address. During the swing, be sure to 
keep the elbows unconsciously close to the body. On the 
back and down swing when the club-head is within, say 
six feet of the ball, the hands should be close to the body 
and as low as the arms hanging naturally will permit. 
Thus, if the arms and hands are kept in to the body when 
they are under control, the club will describe a certain 
and the same arc, namely, the correct one, every time it 
is swung. 

4. At the moment when the club hits the ball, the 

28 



hands should be in front of the body and, of course, close. 
They should remain in that position until the momentum 
of the club-head, as it follows on, pulls them out in the 
direction of the flight of the ball. The mistake, and it is 
fatal, that is often made is. that the hands pull the club- 
head through instead of the club-head pulling the hands. 
If the reader will assume the address position, and without 
moving the club-head will notice that the farther forward 
he moves his hands, the higher he simultaneously raises 
the club-head, he will discover at once a chief reason why 
many balls are topped. To remedy this, hold the hands 
back; that is, in front of the body, while the club swings 
through, gets under, and picks up the ball. 

5. Wrist action as an aid to prevent topping is indeed 
necessary. At the moment of impact when the hands 
are in front of the body, the wrists should be working 
harder than anything else, turning in such a way as to 
send the club-head through first and with a snap. It is 
from them that comes the ginger that makes the ball get 
up and travel. 

XIV 

HOW TO PREVENT SLICING 

The cause of slicing: The club while on the down swing 
and behind the ball gets out from the body too far, making 
a follow through straight after the ball impossible. In- 
stead of going straight out after it hits the ball, because 
the hands are then drawn in, it swings towards the left 
and so puts a cut on the ball; that is, a left to right spin, — 
a slice. 

29 



i. The left hand should be fairly well over the shaft. 
With the right, grip with the fingers and the end of the 
thumb and at the moment of impact turn the right wrist 
quickly over. Be careful that this wrist action doesn't 
turn the club which at the impact of course should be 
flat. 

2. Keep the weight on the heels, more on the right than 
left, and hold the shoulders up. Feel that the upper half 
of both arms are unconciously touching and rubbing lightly 
against the body during the swing. 

3. At the beginning of the back swing, be sure that the 
wrists start the club-head instantly around the right leg 
and near the ground. If they start the back swing they 
will also start the down swing which is very essential in 
order that the club-head may get the necessary start. 
If the wrists fail to perform this duty the hands will come 
through in advance of the club-head and the shot will 
result in a slice or top, or both. 

4. Make sure that the body does not sway. A motion- 
less head is the key for this. 

5. Be positive that the right elbow keeps close to the 
body as it swings in either direction. 

6. During that part of the swing when the club is 
within five 'or six feet of the ball, the hands should be 
hanging low and close to the body. When you take your 
stance get near enough to the ball so that you won't have 
to reach for it. Stand up to your ball. 

7. Too emphatic can not be made the fact that the 
ball should be met by the club as it comes from the direc- 
tion around the right leg and fairly near the ground — not 

30 



from the direction straight behind it. Follow on straight 
after the flight of the ball. 

8. The left elbow swings close to the body and in the 
finish of the swing is touching the left hip, the club now 
being around this shoulder. 

q. It may help to pull the right foot back a little and 
to play the ball off relatively nearer the left foot, but the 
real trouble lies in the swing, seldom in the stance. 

XV 
FAULTS 

If your game is not going as it ought to, you are doing 
something wrong. Stop and think of the significance of 
each as you ask yourself the following and ascertain to 
which you are unable to answer no. 

i. Am I standing in repose over the ball, thus letting 
my muscles become tight and myself stiff and uncertain? 

2. Am I taking my eye off the ball? 

3. Am I getting my arms into the stroke before my 
wrists have begun it? 

4. Am I letting my elbows get out from my body? 

5. Am I putting my weight on my toes, thus leaning 
forward and reaching for the ball? 

6. Am I gripping my club wrongly? 

7. Am I trying to hit too hard and not giving the club 
a chance to do half the work all by itself? 

8. Am I swaying? 

9. Am I failing to follow through straight? 

10. Am I neglecting to have my left arm straight and 

31 



close to my chest at the top of the swing? 
ii. Am I failing to aim correctly? 

XVI 
MISCELLANEOUS 

i. On a windy day it's a good plan to know which way 
and how hard the wind is blowing. A simple method for 
obtaining this knowledge is to pull up a few spears of 
grass and throw them into the air. Their direction and 
speed will give you a fair idea about how much to allow 
for the wind. 

2. In a match don't wait till you are down before you 
start playing, hole number one is the place. Win it and 
put confidence in yourself. 

3. Golf does not assimilate with high tees and high 
heels. 

4. Say only such things to your caddy that you would 
not be ashamed to have your friends overhear. Some 
caddies like to tell all they know. 

5. Whenever your opponent's ball is lost, never fail, 
for courtesy's sake, to help look for it and be the last person 
to leave the search. 

6. For temporary repairing carry in the pocket of your 
bag a few small tacks and some winding. It is also well to 
have with you some sticking plaster to doctor newly worn 
blisters. 

7. Don't play by yourself. Unless you have some one 
to compete against you won't take pains with your shots 
and so thoughtlessly grow careless. 

8. A high handicap and a cheap bag are not synony- 

32 



mous. Own a bag with a hood on it and large enough 
to admit a sweater. 

9. For the purpose of always having a stymie measure 
with you, cut two small nicks six inches apart in the shaft 
of your putter. 

10. Whenever you have a chance to watch a match in 
which players are competing who are better than yourself, 
seize it. 

1 1 . The Game of Golf is one calling for self-control and 
study. Don't phonograph all the way around the course. 

12. Unless you are so far up that your score permits, 
take no chances. 

13. Every time you hit a ball, do so with care. Unless 
you try your best, it is doing your game infinitely more 
harm than good. 

14. If your opponent makes an exceptionally good 
shot, remark to that effect, but say nothing if he makes a 
poor one. 

15. Vary your play by going round now and then 
simply for the pleasure it gives, indifferent as to your 
score. Matches every day are bad for your game. 

16. As a general rule the cover of a golf ball outlives 
the resiliency of the ball itself. It may be white and un- 
cracked and yet be dead. 

17. In match play don't be a card and pencil player 
and get on the nerves of your opponent by trying to keep 
track of your total. Each hole is a game in itself — play 
it so. 

1 8. A warm ball because it is more elastic goes farther 
than a cold one. Therefore it is a good plan to change 

33 



at every tee and put the one not in use in a warm pocket. 

19. Practise swinging once in a while and have the sun 
at your back so that by watching your shadow you can tell 
whether or not you are swaying. 

20. Whether victory does look dubious, you never can 
tell what your opponent is going to do, so keep on fighting 
to the end. Remember the man with the bull-dog spirit 
who was losing heavily and who said, ''It looks as though 
I'm up against it, but I'll be darned if 111 admit it until 
I've lost." He won. 

21. Adopt the policy of the golden rule. Learn the 
rules and the etiquette of the game and then by living up 
to them you may in fairness insist on your opponent and 
others doing likewise. 

XVII 

TECHNICAL TERMS 

ADDRESS. — A person is in the " address" when he is 

in a position to strike the ball. 
APPROACH. — The shot onto the green or the playing 

of it. 
BAFF. — -To send the ball into the air by striking the 

ground with the sole of the club-head. 
BAFFY or SPOON. — A wooden club with a face well 

laid back so as to loft the ball. 
BENT. — Bushes, tangled grass. 
BOGEY. — Sometimes spoken of as Colonel. It is a 

phantom which is credited with a certain score for each 

hole. A score that average good playing, according 

34 



to local conditions, should make. 

BRASSIE. — A wooden club with a sole of brass. 

BREAK-CLUB. — An obstacle of such a nature as might 
break the club when swinging at the ball. 

BULGER. — A club which has a convex face. 

BUNKER. — A long pile of earth with sand before it 
for the purpose of catching bad shots. 

BYE. — An adjective applying to a hole or holes re- 
maining of the original eighteen after the match has 
ended. I. E., if a player wins 4 up 3 to play, the 3 
remaining are called "bye holes" and are played or 
not as both players agree. 

CADDIE. — A person carrying, a player's clubs and 
eligible to give him advice. 

CLEEK. — - An iron-headed club which sends the ball 
off at an angle of twenty degrees, thereby getting con- 
siderable distance. 

CLUB. — The tool which is used to hit the ball. 

COURSE. — The part of the links on which the game 
ought to be played, on either side of which are usually 
high grass, woods or other rough. 

CUP. — A small hole on the fair green, generally made by 
a horse's hoof, a person's heel, or the stroke of a player. 

DEAD. — When the ball lies so near the hole that the 
putt is a certainty, it is "dead." When the ball does 
not roll after landing, it is said to fall "dead. " 

DIVOT. — A piece of turf taken out in swinging the club. 

DORMY. — A person is "dormy" when he is as many 
holes ahead as there are remaining holes to play. 

DRIVER. — A wooden club sending the ball off at an 

35 



angle of five degrees. The driver gives the greatest 

distance of all the clubs. 
DUFF. — To send the ball higher than desirable. 
FACE. — That part of the club which comes in contact 

with the ball. 
FAIR GREEN. — The space between tee and green. 
FLAT. — If the angle formed by the club-head and the 

shaft is very obtuse, the club is said to be "flat. " 
FOG. — Very poor grass, moss. 
FORE. — A warning cry to any person who is in danger 

of being hit by the ball. (A shortened form of 'be- 
fore.") 
FOURSOME. — A match in which two players compete 

against two others. 
GOBBLE. — A putt running with considerable speed into 

the hole, going so fast that had it not gone in, it would 

have rolled some distance beyond. 
GRASSED. — Said of a club the face of which is slightly 

sloped backward. 
GREEN. — (i) The whole golf course; 

(2) The putting ground on which the various 
holes are situated. 
GRIP. — (1) That part of the shaft which is covered 
with calf skin or the like; 
(2) The hold of the hands. 
HALF-ONE. — A handicap of a stroke taken every other 

hole. 
HALF-SHOT. — A swing that is not a full swing. 
HALVED. — When each side takes the same number of 

strokes to hole out, the hole is "halved." 

36 



HANGING. — A ball is said to have a "hanging" lie 
when it rests on a downward slope. 

HAZARD. — A sand- trap, bunker, road, water or any 
other place in which it is not allowable to ground the 
club. 

HEAD. — The lowest and heaviest part of the club, 
having a sole, heel, toe or nose, face, back, top, and 
neck. 

HEEL. — (i) The part of the club where the neck joins 
the face; 
(2) To hit the ball with this part of the club. 

HOLE. — (1) The four and one-quarter inch hole on the 
putting green; 
(2) The surface of fair green between tee and 
green. 

HONOR. — The right to drive first from the tee. This 
right is determined on the first tee as follows : The player 
will put his hands behind him in one of which he holds a 
ball. If the opponent guesses which hand the ball is in, 
he has the "honor"; if not, the player has it. During 
the round, the "honor," on each seperate tee, belongs 
to the person who won the hole that was last won. 

HOOK. — Said of a shot when the ball curves noticeably 
to the left. 

HOSE. — The hole in the neck of iron-headed clubs into 
which the wooden shaft is inserted. 

IRON. — An iron-headed club that sends the ball off at 
an angle of thirty degrees. 

JERK. — In a "jerk-shot", the club hits the ball and 
then goes into the ground, where it stops. 

37 



LIE. — (i) The inclination of the club-head when in a 

position for hitting the ball; 

(2) The position in which the ball rests on the 

ground. Both a noun and a verb, the principal 

parts being "lie, lay, lain." 

LIKE-AS-WE-LIE. — When each side has played the 

same number of strokes. 
LINKS. — A number of golf holes. Small courses have 
nine, while the larger ones of regular size have eighteen. 
LOFT. — To raise the ball. 
LONG ODDS. — To play a stroke more than an opponent 

whose ball is very much nearer the hole. 
MADE. — A player, or his ball, is "made" when the ball 
is so near the green as to enable him to put it on in the 
next shot. 
MASHIE. — A club for approaching. Its face is well 
laid back and sends the ball off at an angle of thirty- 
five degrees. 
MATCH. — The game of golf. 
MISS THE GLOBE. — The failure to hit the ball. 
NECK. — The part of the club-head which joins with the 

shaft. 
NIBLICK. — A wide-headed, heavy iron club which 
elevates the ball higher than any other club. It is 
used for getting the ball out of sand-traps, hazards 
and other bad places. 
ODDS. — (1) The handicap given by a stronger to a 
weaker player. It may be a number of 
holes, or a stroke a hole, every other hole, or 
every third hole; 

38 



(2) A player is said to have played the "odd" 
when he has played one more stroke than his 
opponent. The opponent's next stroke will 
be the "like. " If the player has played two 
more strokes than his opponent, then the op- 
ponent's next stroke will be "one off two"; 
if three more, "one off three, " and so on. 
PAR. — For holes the distance of which is less than 225 
yards, "par" is 3, 225-425 "par" is 4, 425-600 "par" 
is 5, over 600 "par" is 6, regardless of local conditions. 
PRESS. — To hit harder than one ought. 
PULL. — Said of a shot when the ball, after sailing straight 
for some distance, turns very slightly to the left. The 
best kind of shot for distance, as the ball has a tre- 
mendous roll after landing. 
PUTT. — (1) To play a stroke on the putting-ground 
around the hole with the intention to make it 
drop into the hole; 
(2) The name of the stroke itself. 
PUTTER. — An upright club with which to putt. 
RIND. — The cloth under the grip to make it thicker. 
RUB ON THE GREEN. — A deviation of the ball's roll 
on the green caused by uneven ground, such as a worm- 
cast. 
SCARE. — That part of the club-head which is glued to 

the shaft. 
SCLAFF. — When the club-head strikes the ground be- 
hind the ball with a skip and then follows on, taking it 
clean. Both a noun and a verb. 

39 



SCRUFF. — To destroy a little grass in striking. Both 

noun and a verb. 
SET. — A full equipment of clubs. 
SHAFT. — The long wooden handle of a club. 
SINK. — Said of a ball when it drops into the hole. "He 

sank his putt. " 
SOLE. — The lower surface of the club-head which is in 

contact with the ground. 
SPRING. — The snap and ginger in the shaft. 
SQUARE or EVEN UP. — When neither side is ahead. 
STANCE. — The position of a player's feet in relation to 

the ball. 
STEAL. — To sink a putt from a distance where it does 

not seem likely. 
STROKE. — The act of hitting or the attempt to hit the 

ball with a club. 
STYMIE. — When a ball lies in the path of 

another player's putt. 
SWTNG. — The oscillation of the club. 
SWIPE. — A full stroke with a driver. 
TEE. — (i) The little pinch of sand or grass on which the 
ball is placed for the first stroke of each hole; 
(2) The square plot of ground from which the 
first stroke on every hole is made. 
THIRD. — The handicap of a stroke taken at every third 

hole. 
TOP. — To hit the ball anywhere above its center. Both 

a noun and a verb. 
TRAP. — A hole with sand in the bottom for catching 

bad shots. 



40 






UPRIGHT. — A club is said to be "upright" when the 

angle formed by its head with its shaft is not much 

greater than a right angle. 
WHINS. — Shrubbery, flowers. 
WHIPPING. — The black thread-like winding on the 

shaft. 
WRIST SHOT. — A shot that is less than half a full one 

in which the wrists play the chief part. 



41 




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